The Syrian conflict holds severe long term threats for the United States and its allies. While the most dangerous of these threats may not reveal themselves for years, the fruits of the conflict are already evident in the growth of organizations such as the Islamic State. As foreign fighters from across the world gain combat experience and build personal relationships in Syria, they expand a global network of terrorists and terrorist sympathizers. These individuals will greatly increase the capability of terrorist organizations to conduct operations in countries around the world, especially as they return home.

The reasons for sectarian dissidence and violence in Iraq are both complex and numerous. While recognizing that there are many factors that contribute to the current situation in Iraq, there are two primary antecedents to the current growth of violence. First, the renewed vigor and aggressiveness of al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI); second, government corruption in the Maliki administration.

American cyber security efforts have been severely restricted. Domestic political pressures like sequestration and the government shutdown have undercut U.S. cyber defenses. Foreign political pressures have also increased in the wake of the Edward Snowden incident. These pressures have left the United States more vulnerable to cyber attacks from both state and non-state actors. If these trends continue, America will face increasingly serious threats from state actors and even more serious threats from terrorist organizations.

As the United States embraces a plan to get rid of all chemical weapons in Syria, the Syrian rebels are reorganizing themselves into Islamic coalitions that are independent of the US-backed Syrian National Coalition and are in opposition to an ascendant al-Qaeda. This reorganization represents a significant loss of US influence among the rebels, their willingness to adopt a hard-core Islamist character, and the probability of internal fighting between al-Qaeda and the other Sunni rebels in Syria.